Pobation



May 13, 1924. 1,493,677 Y H. C. JONES APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF PRINTING FROM A PHOTOGRAPHIC, PLATE ONTO A SENSITIZED SURFACE Filed March 13 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented May 13, 1924.

UNITED; S TATES PATENT err-"ice.

HARRY C. JONES, F LARGHMONT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LITHOPRINTEX COR- PORATION, OF NEVT YORK, N.

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF PRINTING FROIMI A PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATE ONTO A SENSITIZED SURFACE.

Application filed. March 13,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. Jones,

M a citizen of the United States, and resident of Larchmont, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, iave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for and Methods of Printing from a Photographic Plate onto a sensitized Surface, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for and method of printing from a photographic plate onto a sensitized surface, such for example as the sensitized surface of a zinc or other metallic plate, and the invention relates more particularly to printing from a portion only of a photographic plate onto a marginal portion of the sensitized surface.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an efficient and reliable method of and means for firmly and positively holding said plate in proper printing relation to the sensitized surface when only a portion of said plate superposes said surface.

The invention consists in the method herein described according to the preferred manner of carrying out the same and in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts of the apparatus for carrying out the same, hereinafter described in connection with the present preferred embodiment of the same. And the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Further advantages and uses will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating by way of example the present preferred embodiment of the apparatus wherein 1 is a view taken from beneath the support of the sensitized surface looking upward and showing the printing frame bearing the photographic platerestingupon the sensitized surface.

Fig. 2 is a section taken at 2-+2, of Fig. 1 and showing a section through the-vacuum chamber of the printing frame.

Fig. 3 is a section taken at 33 of Fig. 1 showing the combined sealing means. Y

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals denote the same member in the 1923. Serial No. 624,722.

various views, and more particularly to Fig. 2, 1 represents the table or support on which is mounted a sensitized sheet or plate such as a zinc plate 2, having a sensitized surface on its upper face 3 upon a marginal portion of which is to be printed a design from. a portion of a negative 4. The negative is suitably secured to a vacuum frame 5 as hereinafter described; and suitable means are provided forsealing the frame and neg ative to the sensitized surface. The sealing means comprises a rubber sealing member 6 preferably attached to the frame and capable of making airtight contact with the sensitized surface 8, a rubber sealing strip 7 lying between the support 2 for said sensitized surface and the negative and adjacent the edge of said sensitized surface 8, and a co-operating rubber sealing means 8.

The frame body 5 is cored out to form the vacuum chamber 9 which has a means of comunication such as 10 for connection to an exhauster or vacuum. pump. Valve 11 operates to connect vacuum chamber 9 to a space 12 through an opening 13. Bushings 1e are screw-threadedinto body 5 and carry suckers 15 made of elastic material such as rubber with openings 16 terminating in mouthsl'? which are connected with space 12 and are adapted to yieldably hold the photographic plate 4i in proper register with said frame 5 soas to leave a space 18 between the photographic plate 4 andthe seal 6. Space 18 also is connected to vacuum chamber 9 through opening 19 controlled by valve 20.

Referring to Fig. 3, the seal 7 is so positioned that its upper edge lies in approximately the same plane as the sensitized surface and serves to form an airtight joint between the support 2, adjacent the edges 21 and 22 of the marginal portion 23 of the sensitized surface 3, and the photographic plate 4. The sealing means 8 serves to seal up the space 18. between plate 14 and seal 6 at a point adjacent seal 7. These seals 7 and 8 are auxiliary means which when used in combination with seal 6 form an enclosing seal to seal 01f the space between the marginal portion 23 of the sensitized surface 3 and the overlying portion of the photographic plate 4:-

The. member 24 a transparent plate with a seal 2-5 between which and anchoring means 26 itis held in air-tight engagement, thus forming the upper portion of the space in which plate at lies and serving to hold the photographic plate in proper position. with respect to the sensitized surface 3 when the air is exhausted from the printing frame. Any suitable form of vacuum frame may be used that is adz-iptable for printing from a photographic plate on to the marginal portion of the sensitized surface, but I prefer a frame of the type shown in the drawings. This frame is not claimed per se as it forms the subject mat ter of my pending U. 5?. application, Serial No. 615,487 filed January 29, 1923.

The apparatus of this invention and the method of operating the same apply partic ularly to that class of work wherein it is desired to print a portion ofa photographic plate or an object therefrom onto a marginal portion of a sensitized surface such .as

is commonly placed :on a zinc or'other suit able metallic backing. In such cases it is customary to secure the zinc: or'metallic plate bearing the sensitized surface upon a suitable support ofapproximately the size of the zinc plate such as is represented at 1, and then supernose a photographic plate and print from tnephotographic plate onto the sensitized surface. Where a portion only of such photographic plate is to be printed onto a marginal portion of said sensitized surface, great difficulty and inaccuracy haye heretofore been experienced. By marginal'portion is meant a port-ion bounded by one or more edges of said sensitized surface and less than the area. of the printing frame. It will therefore be seen that, as shown in Fig.1, if it is de sired to print from aphotographic plate such as 4 onto the marginal portion, shown superposed by the vacuum printing frame 5, the frame 5 will. project beyond the plate 2 and it will be impossible to form an airtight seal with the sealing member 6 without such means as is provided by this in vention.

According to the present invention 1 in effect employ auxiliary sealing; means which when properly placed in conjunction with the regular seal of the vacuum printing frame. form in combination:therewith and in connection with the photographic plate and the support for the sensitized surface, a sealed space from which the air is exhausted to hold thephotographic. plate in proper printing position with respect to the sensitized surface.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows: The plate 2 carrying the sensitized surface?) is'placed' on a suitable support 1 with the surface 3 uppermost. so that. a marginal portion of said; support adjacent the edges-21 and QQ'of-saidmarginal portion 23 will not be covered by said plate 2. The photographic plate 41., which is to be printed from, is placed on a suitable vacuum frame such as 5 in proper register position and in contact with the suckers 15. This frame is then connected to a suitable exhauster or vacuum pump by means such as 10 and-the air is exhausted from space 9 of the vacuum printing); frame. The valve 11 is then operated to produce a vacuum in the space 12 which is in communication with suckers 15 through the passage '16 which causes a suction on mouths 17 of the suckers and'holds the photographic plate thereto. The sealing'strips 8 are placed in space 18 so as to seal off that portion of space'lS which will overlie the marginal portion of the sensitized surface to be printed upon, and the sealing strips 7 are placed:

along themarainal strip of. the support 2 adjacent the edges 21 and 22 of the mar-- ginal portion 23 of the sensitized surface. The vacuum printing frame bearing the photographic plate is now placed over the sensitized surface 3 in'such a manner that strips 7 will be brought adjacent strips 8 thereby forming in combination with the seal 6 a sealing means enclosing that portion of the sensitized surface to be printed upon and sealing; off the space between this marginal portion of the sensitized surface and the overlying portion of the photographic plate. Valve 20 is then opened to exhaust the air from space 18' and also from the sealed off space between the marginal portion ofthe sensitized surface and the overlying photographic plate. This forces plate 24 against photographic plate 4 and operates to hold the photographic plate in proper printing position with respect to the marginal. portion of the sensitized surface.

Having thus described my invention with particularity with. reference to the preferred method ofcarryinu out the same andin connection with the preferred apparatus for carrying out the same. itv will. b obvious to those skilled understanding: my invention. that other changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spiritand scope of my invention. and I aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as are within the scope of-th'e invention.

Havingthus described my invention, what -I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In apparatus of the characterdescribed. the combination. of a vacuum frame for printing from a photographic plate onto a marginal portion of a sensitized surface,

'means for sealingoif from the atmosphere the adjacentsurfaces of amarginal portion of azsensltized surface, and the overlying portion of the photographic plate, said in. the art, after means comprising sealing means operatively related to said print-ing frame and serving to seal the sides of said frame overyling the sensitized surface to said sensitized surface, and means forming a seal between said support adjacent the marginal edges of the marginal portion of said sensitized surface and the photographic plate carried by said frame, and means of communication for exhausting the air from over the sealed off marginal portion of the sensitized surface to hold the said photographic plate in proper printing position with respect to said marginal portion.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a support for a sensitized surface, a vacuum frame for printing from a photographic plate onto a marginal portion of said sensitized surface, said frame having means for supporting said photographic plate thereon, means for sealing 0E from the atmosphere the adjacent surfaces of a marginal portion of the sensitized surface and the overlying portion of the photographic plate, said means comprising sealing means operatively related to said printing frame and serving to seal the sides of said frame overlying the sensitized surface to said sensitized surface, and means forming a seal between said support adjacent the marginal edges of the marginal portion of said sensitized surface and the photographic plate carried by said frame, and means of communication for exhausting the air from over the sealed off marginal portion of the sensitized surface to hold the said photographic plate in proper printing position with respect to said marginal portion.

3. In apparatus of the character-described, the combination of a vacuum printing frame for printing from a portion of a photographic plate onto a marginal portion of a sensitized surface, a sealing means operatively related to said frame and extending around the margin thereof to engage the adjacent portions of the sensitized surface, an auxiliary sealing means for engaging a portion of the support for said sensitized surface covered by said photographic plate and an overlying portion of said photographic plate and forming in combination with said first sealing means an enclosing seal to seal off the space between the marginal portion of the sensitized surface and the portion of the photographic plate to be printed from, and means of communication for exhausting the air from over the sealed off marginal portion of the sensitized surface to hold the said photographic plate in proper printing position with respect to said marginal portion.

4:. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a vacuum frame for printing from a portion of a photographic plate onto a marginal portion of a sensitized surface, said frame having means for supporting said photographic plate thereon with a space between the edges of said'plate and a sealing member extending around the frame, means for sealing off from the atmosphere the adjacent surfaces of a marginal portion of the sensitized surface and the overlying portion of the photographic plate, saidsealing means comprising said first sealing member extending around the frame and serving to seal the sides of said frame overlying the sensitized surface to said sensitized surface, sealing means for engaging a portion of the support for said sensitized surface covered by said photographic plate and an overlying portion of said photographic plate, and further sealing means in said space be tween the edges of the plate and said first sealing means adjacent the second sealing means, and means of communication for exhausting air from the sealed off marginal portion of the sensitized surface to hold said photographic plate in proper printing position with respect to said marginal portion.

5. The method of printing from a portion of a photographic plate, carried by a vacuum frame, onto a marginal portion of a sensi-' tized surface which consists in placing auxiliary sealing means between the marginal edge of a support for said sensitized surface, adjacent the inner edges of the marginal portion of the sensitized surface, and an overlying portion of the photographic plate so as to formin combination with said frame a means for sealing off the space between a portion of said frame and the said marginal portion of the sensitized surface, exhausting the air from the sealed off space between said photographic plate and said sensitized surface, and printing from said photographic plate onto said marginal portion of the sensitized surface.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

- HARRY C. JONES. 

